WhatsApp not working? Top 5 alternate messaging apps you can try when Facebook-owned app is down

WhatsApp, on Friday, went down globally and was not working for around an hour. Here's what you can use the next time,

Here is a list of 5 alternative apps you can try when WhatsApp is down.

On Friday, WhatsApp went down globally and was not working for around an hour. The major outage prevented users from around the world from sending and receiving messages on the most popular messaging app. The Facebook-owned app continued to show a ‘connecting’ message for a long time, without finding a connection. Meanwhile, people took to social media websites like Twitter to vent their anger. Also, there were several memes and jokes floating around the issue. The outrage was so big that #whatsappdown started trending on Twitter. Interestingly, this is not the first time the popular mobile app crashed globally. While it is understandable that WhatsApp is one of the most used apps in the world, with over 1 billion users, you should also know that there are others options you can try. Here is a list of 5 alternative apps you can try when WhatsApp is down.

Telegram: Telegram Messenger is arguably the best WhatsApp rival out there. Telegram is an open-source messaging app and is probably the best WhatsApp alternative you can get, The messaging app packs son really useful features. What separates Telegram from WhatsApp is that it allows groups of upto 5,000 people, public channels, and the ability to share files of up to 1.5 GB. It also has a different passcode lock and supports self-destructing messages. It has an end-to-end encryption even for anonymous chats. Unlike WhatsApp, you can use Telegram across platforms at the same time. The only drawback is that the app does not support voice and video calls yet.

Viber: It is yet another popular messaging app which supports VoIP. Compared to WhatsApp, Viber matched it in terms of features. The messaging app provides end-to-end encryption of calls, messages and other media. Even the texts saved in different devices are also encrypted. The app also enables users to make video and voice calls. The best part is that app goes one step ahead with its Viber Out feature. This feature lets you make international calls to non-Viber users at nominal rates.

Paytm: Paytm has announced ‘Inbox’, a new feature for users to chat as well as make transactions. The digital payments platform has launched a new messaging service where you can chat with your friends as well as make peer to peer money transfer. Paytm has also mentioned a message recall and a live location sharing features in the app, which WhatsApp recently rolled out.

Facebook Messenger: Even though Messenger and WhatsApp come under the same Facebook radar, the former messaging app has made big strides in the segment in the last few years. The Facebook Messenger has a plethora of stickers, supports several online games, and has many other options. It is also available on all major platforms. Recently Facebook also introduced the Snapchat like Stories feature inside the app where you can post pictures and videos for a day.

Line: It is yet another WhatsApp alternative you can use. It is a quite popular messaging app that has several WhatsApp like features. The Line app features end-to-end encryption, supports voice, video calls and messages. The app also has some unique features like Line Out. This feature enables users to make international calls to non-Line users. The messaging app also has a Keep feature where you can record your best messages and pictures. There is a timeline feature on Line where users can see status and picture changes of their friends.